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Post by Matthew the Swordsman on May 7, 2017 23:43:22 GMT
During the week I watched at least one short film for each decade of the 20th century (though the 1980s and 1990s are only represented by animation). I also watched three features, each quite different to each other. I also watched some television programming, and watched a couple internet videos.
As you can see, I mostly watched shorts during the week. Also, my definition of "film" is vague at times....I've even included a theatrically-released PSA on the list.
Also, if we count internet videos and animation, I watched at least one example of moving images for every decade from the 1890s to 2010s. That's kinda interesting.
Film:
Look at Life: Pictures Tell the Story (1963, UK, 9 minutes) - 8/10. As I mentioned last week, the "Look at Life" series of mini-documentaries were widely seen in British cinemas from 1959 to 1969. This particular edition shows how news pictures are transmitted around the world for use in newspapers. The then-new technology of communications satellites are also shown, and we also see how a news service (providing footage for TV stations around the world) does its job. It's a very fast-paced documentary, and it is very entertaining. Several sets of these "Look at Life" shorts are available on DVD.
Capital Visit (1955, UK, 20 minutes) - 7.5/10. In this travelogue, a group of children visit London, and see the various things to see. The narration is kinda annoying at times, but the footage (which is in colour) is very nicely done (if very grainy at times, with some footage being poorly exposed. I guess they were still getting used to colour film). This short was produced by "British Transport Films", whose shorts received reasonably wide theatrical release in the 1950s, but were seen much less often by the 1970s, with the production company ceasing to exist in the 1980s. Much of their output has been released on DVD.
Convict 13 (1920, USA, 19 minutes) - 8/10. A great comedy starring Buster Keaton. Very fast-paced and even exciting! I enjoyed it very much.
John Atkin Saves Up (1934, UK, 18 minutes) - 7.5/10. Here's an odd mix of genres: an educational film, which is also a comedy, which ends with a romance. This was a production of the GPO Film Unit (as in "General Post Office"), and is really an advertisement for their savings bank, and provides a good deal of information on it. But it also tells the fictional story of a man and how he eventually finds romance at the beach.
Cybernetica (1972, UK, 19 minutes) - 8/10. A documentary about how computers and trains will join together to save the world from congestion and pollution. Oh, if only it was that simple...still, a very enjoyable, well-made documentary. Another effort by "British Transport Films".
Geri's Game (1997, USA, 5 minutes) - 7.5/10. A CGI cartoon short, from back when such things were still novel.
The Whole Dam Family and the Dam Dog (1905, USA, 6 minutes) - 6/10. This is a warning to everyone: Your favourite parody movie will one day look like this! You see, this is a short comedy based on a popular postcard of the period. The joke is largely lost on modern viewers, though, since it is now a forgotten fad. A century from now, things like "Scary Movie" and "Family Guy" will be just as incomprehensible!
A Sea Cave Near Lisbon (1896, UK, under 20 seconds!!!) - 6/10. Brief piece of footage.
Andalusian Dance (1896, UK, about 20 seconds) - 7/10. Dancing films were very popular in the 1890s, and this is a good one. For many years considered lost, it does survive, but not as a film print. Rather, the film was also issued a flip-book (flip the pages, and the images move), which was turned into a video for the DVD release.
Two AM; or, The Husband's Return (1896, UK, 1 minute) - 7/10. An early comedy, about a man who comes home drunk, to the annoyance of his wife. I watched this a few weeks ago on YouTube, but re-watched it now that I have it on DVD (as part of the DVD release "RW Paul - The Collected Films 1895-1908")
Luxo Jr. (1986, USA, 2 minutes) - 8/10. A very early CGI short. Very nicely done.
The Third Sam (1962, UK, 9 minutes) - 7.5/10. I assume this was created for people who drove trains for a living, and if so, I am surprised at how good it is. The simple message (don't panic in an emergency) is delivered in an amusing comical manner, helped by the rhyming narration. Another fine effort by "Britush Transport Films".
Your Children's Meals (1947, UK, 12 minutes) - 7/10. OK, this is not a film in the conventional sense (it was never shown in cinemas), and damn it is impossible to rate. This is an educational short designed to show mothers how to prepare food for their children. The points raised include making the food look presentable, serving the food at regular times, be firm but don't make a fuss, stuff like that. Parts of it are modern, other parts are very dated (the father smoking a pipe at the dinner table while the children are still there). This is the kind of thing which went unseen for decades, and now it is available for everyone to see.
Mr. Nobody Holme Buys a Jitney (1916, USA, 1 minute) - 6/10. A very brief cartoon, not terrible but not particularly memorable either. Viewed on YouTube.
The Phable of the Phat Woman (1916, USA, 2 minutes) - 6/10. A very brief cartoon about a woam trying to lose weight. Viewed on YouTube.
Never Again! The Story of a Speeder Cop. (1916, USA, 2 minutes) - 7/10. Nothing outstanding, but an amusing little cartoon short about a police officer and some nasty people who don't obey the speed limit. Viewed on YouTube.
Look at Life: So Much Flattery (1964, UK, 10 minutes) - 8/10. A breezy documentary about imitation things: fake fur, fake jewellery, fake teeth, and fake furniture. It's a lot of fun to watch.
Head of Procession Including Bluejackets (1897, UK, under 1 minute) - 7.5/10. Part of a series of films showing Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee.
Head of Colonial Procession (1897, UK, under 1 minute) - 7/10. Composition could have been better.
Royal Carriages Passing Westminster (1897, UK, under 1 minute) - 7/10.
Caped Mounted Riflemen Passing St Paul's (1897, UK, under 1 minute) - 8/10
Dragoons Passing St Paul's (1897, UK, under 1 minute) - 7.5/10.
Royal Carriage Arriving at St Paul's (1897, UK, under 1 minute) - 7.5/10.
Royal Princes in St. Paul's Churchyard (1897, UK, under 1 minute) - 7/10.
Queen's Carriage and Indian Escort Arriving at St. Paul's (1897, UK, under 1 minute) - 7/10.
Life Guards and Princes North of St Paul's (1897, UK, under 1 minute) - 7/10. This concluding my little 9-film marathon (lasting 6 minutes!) of films from Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee.
Coney Island at Night (1905, USA, 4 minutes) - 8/10. A beautifully filmed view, with the electric lights being so charming and lovely. If they invent a time machine, I'd like to visit this place circa 1905.
The Little Train Robbery (1905, USA, 10 minutes) - 7/10. One of the first parody films, this is a spoof of "The Great Train Robbery", a major hit film of a few years earlier. In this film, the robbers are all played by children, who steal snacks instead of money. By 1905 standards, this is a pretty good film, and still manages to provide some entertainment.
Look at Life: A Pinch of Salt (1963, UK, 9 minutes) - 7.5/10. An interesting look into salt mining.
A Family Affair (1950, UK, 16 minutes) - 8/10. This is an educational short, yet it had wide theatrical release. It takes a potentially dull subject matter (children needing foster parents) and makes it interesting thanks to the skilled director (Margaret Thomson). Indeed, parts of this short are beautifully filmed. This short, and various others, appears on a DVD set called "The COI Collection, Volume Eight: Your Children and You", which I have just started watching.
Krazy Kat Goes A-Wooing (1916, USA, 2 minutes) - 7/10. Mildly amusing little cartoon about a cat trying to woo a mouse by singing at the mouse's window. Hilarity (somewhat) ensues. Viewed on YouTube.
Krazy Kat - Bugologist (1916, USA, 3 minutes) - 7.5/10. Amusing little cartoon about a cat and a mouse, but they are friends for a change. Hilarity doesn't quite ensue, but it is amusing. Viewed on YouTube.
Toccata for Toy Trains (1957, USA, 14 minutes) - 7.5/10. Toy trains, toy cars, toy people, and so on, all come to life in this creative short.
Local Newspaper (1952, UK, 16 minutes) - 7.5/10. A documentary showing how a local newspaper is put together. An idealised view, perhaps, but that is what makes it so charming. The scenes of simple and pleasant rural life are very nice. This was done by the Crown Film Unit, and produced for the Central Office of Information (COI), which distributed the film around the world to present a positive view of Britain (and also did a lot of other shorts for that purpose).
The England of Elizabeth (1957, UK, 25 minutes) - 7.5/10. A documentary about the era of Elizabeth I, filmed in glorious colour. Another effort by "British Transport Films", though this has nothing to do with transport.
Look at Life: Making a Meal of It (1960, UK, 9 minutes) - 7.5/10. A look into how food is canned, and how food is freeze-dried. Really a lot more interestigng than it sounds.
Passport To Progress (1957, Australia, 10 minutes) - 7.5/10. This is something of a propaganda piece, telling Australians about how important migrants are to the future of the country. Believe it or not, this actually had a mainstream theatrical release. For example, in Canberra it was shown at the Capitol Theatre on 17 April 1958, where it accompanied the American films "Man in the Shadow" (shown under the title "Pay the Devil") and "Slim Carter", with the presentation of films also including a newsreel and a cartoon! This short was one of many efforts by the Commonwealth Film Unit, which did a lot of short documentaries from the late-1940s onwards.
The White Caps (1905, USA, 12 minutes) - ?/10. No, I can't rate this disturbing little drama. This is really objectionable. But it is well-made by 1905 standards.
Impatient Mr. Hyde (1957, Australia, 2 minutes) - 7/10. Theatrically-released PSA reminding drivers to be patient. It's OK, I've seen better examples of this kind of thing, but at least this one doesn't use "shock value". In fact it all seems rather pleasant. Once again, an effort by the Commonwealth Film Unit.
Learn to Live (1954, Australia, 19 minutes) - 6/10. A short information film about adult education in the Australian state of Tasmania. This short was never meant to be seen outside of that state, which means it had to work with a very low budget, and a production crew whose inexperience shows up quite often. Script and editing are both poor. The film takes 5 minutes before it even gets to its intended subject matter, and the final 2 minutes is some inane hard-sell about democracy that has nothing to do with adult education (gee, and I thought only American films did stuff like that). I still give it 6/10, there are some good moments in this mess, and I appreciate how difficult it was for a small state like Tasmania to produce its own films, but even so, other Tasmanian films from this period are a lot better than this.
Look at Life: Spuds Galore (1964, UK, 9 minutes) - 8/10. A delightful look into my favourite vegetable, the potato. I really got hungry after watching this!
Your Children and You (1946, UK, 27 minutes) - 7/10. OK, this is a hard to rate "film". Not intended for theatrical release (notice how it features a toilet and references to urinating on the floor), this was intended as an instructional film for parents, to teach them about raising children, and features an odd mix of the modern (telling parents to not smack their kids) and the dated (smoking in front of the kids). It's fairly entertaining, has some nich touches in the direction (which is superior to American films of this kind), and has a good deal of historical interest.
All's Fair at the Fair (1938, USA, 8 minutes) - 8/10. Amusing little art deco cartoon in glorious Technicolor.
The Coming of the Dial (1933, UK, 14 minutes) - 7.5/10. A documentary by the GPO Film Unit, explaining how the dial telephone works. Quite fascinating to watch.
Look at Life: Follow the Stars (1959, UK, 10 minutes) - 7/10. A short documentary that briefly looks at astrology before moving on to astronomy. Confused? Good.
People Like Us (1962, UK, 9 minutes) - 8/10. Here's a training film (about trains) with artistic aspirations. The skaky (handheld?) camerawork is usually something I hate, but in this film it makes perfect sense. The use of live sound at a train station also works quite nicely. Intended to remind people working at a train station to help the passengers when they need help, this is really a lot better than most other training/instructional films.
A Future on Rail (1957, UK, 8 minutes) - 7/10. OK, but nothing special. Just another 1950s film about how great "progress" is. Nice footage, but just look at the horrible world that "progress" has lead us to.
The Scarecrow (1920, USA, 18 minutes) - 9/10. The first 9/10 rating I've given so far this year. This is a brilliant comedy short starring Buster Keaton. It was so good I didn't want it to end!
Date with Disaster (1957, UK, 59 minutes) - 7/10. Very enjoyable crime drama b-movie. Not outstanding and generally done on the cheap, but reasonably well-made, and with a professional cast. I love these kind of films.
The Unchastened Woman (1925, USA, 52 minutes) - 7/10. This film isn't great, but it is fairly entertaining. It's not really a classic film, but it's a nice "rainy day" type film, something to put on when there's nothing better to do. It stars Theda Bara, once a huge star but already a has-been by 1925. The rest of the cast are not stars, although some of them were rather prolific.
Chicken Run (2000, UK-USA-France, 81 minutes) - 8/10. Highly enjoyable cartoon flick about some chickens trying to escape from a farm.
Television:
"The Children's Doctor" - Episode and broadcast date unknown (late-1960s, USA, 5 minutes) - 7/10. This was a short bit of non-fiction filler programming. In this episode, the doctor shows children (via a film clip) what to expect when they visit the hospital. I was surprised that they used the word "urine", a word you don't usually hear on 1960s TV. Also included with my copy were two vintage commercials: One for Endust (featuring a clown), and the other for Softique, and both fairly ordinary ads of the era.
"Spring and Autumn" - Episode telecast 16 July 1973 (UK, 24 minutes) - 7.5/10. After a promising pilot, the show was recast, and this (the first episode of the regular series) is a re-write of the pilot. The basic plot is the same, and some of the jokes are re-used, but the story is also re-written and has a different ending. The show was about an elderly man who befriends a kid. One odd aspect (which seems normal today, but was unusual in 1973) is that both the interior (studio) scenes and the outdoor scenes were shot on video-tape (at the time, it was common for UK sitcoms to have outdoor scenes shot on film and indoor scenes shot on tape. Even as recently as the 1990s shows like "Mr. Bean" did this).
The Country Look (1971, UK, 3 minutes) - 7.5/10. This brief TV short was produced to show off British fashions. It's nicely done and entertaining.
"Parkin's Patch" - Episode titled "Dead or Alive?" (telecast 3 October 1969, UK, 24 minutes) - 7.5/10. A crime drama show. In this episode, a man claims to have killed a woman, but when the cop looks for the body, it isn't there. So what happened?
"The Larkins" - Episode titled "Wide Open House" (telecast 19 September 1958, UK, 38 minutes) - 7/10. A decent first episode for this series, but at 38 minutes it is too long (later episodes were 25 minutes. The 38 minute running time is odd, from what I've heard UK shows of the 1950s often had irregular running times. Maybe this aired in a 45-minute time-slot? Well?). The ending is illogical, too. But the episode is amusing. I look forward to re-watching the rest of the first series of this show.
"Sherlock Holmes" - Episode titled "The Case of the Pennsylvania Gun" (telecast 1 November 1954, USA, 27 minutes) - 7/10. Slight but enjoyable episode of this series, which was produced by an American production company, with a mostly British cast, and filmed in France, thus anticipating the international productions of the 1960s.
Internet:
"Tanks Crushing Things" - Episode titled "2017 starts with tank crushing Vauxhall" (uploaded 1 May 2017, UK, 1 minute) - 7.5/10. Proving that I really will rate and describe *everything* that I watch. In this case, a YouTube video in which a car gets run over by a tank. Fortunately, it is an ugly 2000s-era car. This YouTube series is a major guilty pleasure of mine.
NROL-76 Launch Webcast (webcast 1 May 2017, USA, 22 minutes) - 7.5/10. A live webcast showing the launch of a Falcon 9 rocket. It also showed the landing of the first stage back to earth (they intend to re-use the first stage on a later launch). Very interesting to watch, although since the payload is classified they could only show part of the launch.
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Post by howardschumann on May 8, 2017 0:53:31 GMT
NORMAN: THE MODERATE RISE AND TRAGIC FALL OF A NEW YORK FIXER
Directed by Joseph Cedar, U.S., 2016, 117 minutes
In Israeli-American director Joseph Cedar’s masterful film Norman, The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer, a ridiculously expensive pair of shoes given as a gift leads to a friendship between rising Israeli politician Micha Eshel (Lior Ashkenazi, “Encirclements”) and Norman Oppenheimer (Richard Gere, “Time Out of Mind”), an American businessman, consultant and, in the Yiddish expression, “gonif,” defined as a disreputable but not entirely crooked individual. Like Eliezer Shkolnik, the aging Talmudic scholar and philologist in Cedar`s 2011 film “Footnote,” Norman is persistent in his longing for prestige and recognition by his peers.
According to Cedar, “The tragic weakness of Norman and his ilk is that for them money acts as a substitute for intimacy; money is identified with power and influence…his only way to connect is to lie, and people know that.” Norman, brilliantly played by Richard Gere in one of his best performances, is a lonely man in his sixties living in New York but very much a cipher and we know nothing of his background other than his claim to being a widower with a college-age daughter. Given his tendency toward exaggeration and outright lies, however, its veracity is undetermined. Alex (Charlotte Gainsbourg, “Independence Day: Resurgence”), a government worker who he meets on an Amtrak trip tells him “Everyone knows who you are, but no one knows anything about you.”
Always looking for connection, Norman makes contact with little-known but charismatic Israeli politician Micha Eshel, currently deputy minister of Industry, Trade and Labor who is visiting New York. Trying hard to endear himself to Eshel, Norman persuades him to browse in an upper crust shoe boutique and ends up buying him the most expensive shoes in the store. The fixer seems to have hit pay dirt when he learns three years later that Eshel has been elected Prime Minister of Israel, but the relationship turns out to be a mixed blessing. Not knowing whether or not Micha will even remember him, Norman waits in a greeting line to shake his hand at a victory party and is ecstatic when Eshel not only remembers him but gives him an effusive hug.
When he asks him to serve as intermediary between Israel and the New York-based wealthy Jewish community, it is Norman’s moment of triumph over those who have marginalized him over the years and opens doors that were previously closed to him, even though Duby (Yehuda Almagor, “Intimate Grammar”), Eshel’s aide, wants to keep Norman as far away from the Prime Minister as is humanly possible. Now wielding the power that has always eluded him, Norman tries to use Eshel’s name in negotiating transactions with Norman’s nephew Philip Cohen (Michael Sheen, “Nocturnal Animals”) who needs a rabbi to preside over his wedding to a Korean convert, and Rabbi Blumenthal (Steve Buscemi, “Horace and Pete,” TV series) who needs to find a donor who will contribute to the synagogue.
Norman’s dubious wheeling and dealing, however, catches up with him and he finds himself in deep personal and legal trouble. Never one to lose self-confidence, when he is told that he's like "a drowning man trying to wave at an ocean liner," he responds, "but I'm a good swimmer." The problems, however, have serious international repercussions and recall many instances of the exchange of money and gifts have led to the downfall of many prominent American and Israeli.
Though Norman is an archetype and, in some ways, resembles the stereotyped “court Jew,” often used as an anti-Semitic reference, we can relate to, if not admire him as a flawed human being who, like many of us, wants very much to be loved and respected. We empathize with him for no reason other than that we share a common humanity and we may know from experience that there is often a thin line dividing the upright from the outcast.
GRADE: A
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Post by Salzmank on May 8, 2017 1:00:54 GMT
Please tell us what classics you saw last week. Modern films are welcome, as well. I got the chance to see Laura again for the umpteenth time but the first time in ages--one of my favorites, and I must confess to falling madly in love with Miss Tierney every time I see it. I picked up on things I hadn't before and saw a few more things that lean towards the "McPherson dreams the whole second half" theory. (I don't believe in that silly theory, I hasten to add, but I saw several more reasons why someone would.) On the surface, Laura is very much a basic mystery melodrama of the '40s; I always wonder why, like its gorgeous score, it holds the viewer in so much of a spell. I can only argue that it is a bit like a dream in and of itself, where not everything makes sense but the effect is one of transcendence. If that makes any sense at all. (And do I even need to say that Clifton Webb is superb in it, stealing the scenery from Dana Andrews, Judith Anderson, and Vincent Price?) Still one of my favorite pictures of them all. I'll be very busy this week, so I won't have all that much of a chance to watch many classics (or anything, for that matter), but I thought I'd start it off on this positive note. |
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Post by manfromplanetx on May 8, 2017 1:06:35 GMT
Kuchizuke , Kisses (1957) Japan, Directed by Yasuzô Masumura
A ground breaking debut feature from Masumura,. A simple story of young love is stylishly crafted, it is a charming and delightful little film. Swiftly paced youth orientated, the style is reminiscent of, but predates the European New Wave of the 60s. The intimacy of the young lovers eventual kiss was a first in Japanese cinema, the film was an inspiration for Japans own New Wave which soon followed..
Encore (1951) UK Directed by Harold French, Pat Jackson, Anthony Pelissier
The film is made from three short stories by W. Somerset Maugham who also personally introduces each one...."The Ant and the Grasshopper" , "Winter Cruise" , "The Gigolo and the Gigolette" Wonderfully adapted and superbly cast, these are three unrelated half hour stories, each are highly entertaining the witty dialogue weaves elements of drama, comedy and social observation throughout, Every character has specific issues and give engaging portrayals, the credit honours include Britain's best.
Trio (1950) UK, Directed by Ken Annakin , Harold French
Three short stories by W. Somerset Maugham, "The Verger," "Mr. Know-All," and "The Sanatorium," are once again are introduced by the author. These short films are perceptive observations of human frailties and eccentricities. Wonderfully rich, the anthology is highly entertaining and cast with the best of British actors and actresses.
Hikinige , Hit and Run (1966) Japan, Directed by Mikio Naruse
A child is killed in a hit and run. The mother plots her revenge by posing as a maid in the house of the murderer..
The simple plot summary is in no way indicative of the depth and intensity this searing drama. Any elaboration would spoil the dramatic elements that surprisingly unfold as the story progresses.. Individual motivations of the main characters are based in personal selfishness and deceit which adds layers of intrigue to this dark and compelling tale. Marvellous performances excel in an masterly crafted film.
Cast a Dark Shadow (1955) UK, Directed by Lewis Gilbert
British crime film tells the tale of an unhinged fortune-hunter Edward ( Dirk Bogarde) who marries a rich elderly widow with plans to do away with her to collect the spoils. When she is found dead suspicions arise, but the inquest considers it an accidental death. Edward wastes no time preying on another lonely rich widow but this time he has met his match with Freda (Margaret Lockwood). An engaging twisting story with standout performances from Lockwood and Bogarde and the supporting cast.
Ningen , Human (1962) Japan, Directed by Kaneto Shindô
A tense and dramatic drama upon the high seas develops when a small boat with four crew is hit by a fierce storm. The damaged boat becomes adrift and is lost at sea, provisions begin to dwindle and tensions rise. Two of the crew begin to challenge the good hearted and level headed captain.as their desperation grips. Fearing death their rational reasoning becomes blurred. Masterly crafted from Shindô who also adapted the story. The strikingly filmed B&W tale begins as a light and easy going adventure, but soon descends into a compelling fable which delves into the dark recesses of human nature.
Seisaku no tsuma , Seisaku's Wife (1965) Japan, Directed by Yasuzô Masumura
The story is set on the eve of the Russo-Japanese war at the beginning of the 20th century. A village girl Okane (Ayako Wakao) has moved to a big town & married an older wealthy man to escape a life of poverty... that's just the introduction!.
his name is not Seisaku...
Seisaku's Wife is an excellent film, masterly crafted. from Masumura the melodramatic maestro of 60s Japanese film.
Touching, passionate and wild, beautifully filmed, an intense and spellbinding drama
All films Highly Recommended
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Post by Deleted on May 8, 2017 1:17:41 GMT
Cyrano de Bergerac (1950) José Ferrer, Mala Powers, William Prince
If you want to understand the talents of José Ferrer this Oscar-winning performance is a must-see. The film straddles a fine line between stage production and live-action, the sword-play is actually quite exciting at times, the dialogue is intriguing. My only quibble is that Mala Powers and William Prince are not up to the standards for their respective roles which are heavy with dialogue, for a more complete film 'Cyrano de Bergerac' (1990 film) with my favorite all-time French actor Gérard Depardieu should be viewed first. A classic but only in the 8 range (you need more than one supreme performance to fill out a 10).
Jose Ferrer won a Best Actor Academy Award in 1950 for his convincing portrayal of Cyrano, the soldier with a generous nose, in this movie inspired by Edmond Rostand's classic story. In love with the fair Roxanne (Mala Powers) but afraid she won't like him, Cyrano uses the handsome Christian (William Prince) as his messenger, hoping to woo Roxanne with Christian's looks but his own words. But what happens when she finds out?
Daphne Laureola (1978) Joan Plowright, Arthur Lowe, Grégoire Aslan , Laurence Olivier
Originally made for T.V. based on the play, financed as a vehicle by Laurence Olivier to show-case his fantastic actress/wife Joan Plowright's amazing talents that had fallen in demand, this is one of those performances credited with bringing her back to A-list status. Certainly deserves your attention if your a fan of Joan Plowright, she pulls out all the stops, amazing to watch an acting talent of this stature who can dominate the material like this. 7/8 only because the supporting actors are not even close to her tour-de-force level which leaves this also a one-sided affair.
Partygoers, an elderly couple, an impressionistic young man and all the other diverse diners at a Soho restaurant have their worlds shaken up by Lady Pitts (Joan Plowright). A free spirit lubricated by alcohol, Lady Pitts invites the diners to tea at the mansion of her husband (Laurence Olivier). Lady Pitts's drunken chattering elicits a variety of responses in the restaurant -- from feelings of anger and irritation to stirrings of love.
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie.
Finally got around to viewing, even with Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio attached to this project, the initial reviews did not inspire me to watch but as a satire of financial greed and debauchery, it works perfectly but is totally destroyed by it's over-the-top buffoon supporting cast, enter Jonah Hill (the secret son of J.J. Abrams) which completely mars the black comedic aspects and leaves only a sense of low-grade stupidity, surely there were some fairly gifted and devious cons behind some of these high-end schemes? This film is completely held together like super-glue by Leonardo DiCaprio's excellent salesmanship, and oogling over Margot Robbie, the only thing to remember about 'Suicide Squad' btw, but The WWS did keep me watching to the end. A Martin Scorsese film, should not be rated generously at 6 but it is.
Martin Scorsese's high-rolling Wall Street drama is based on the memoirs of stockbroker Jordan Belfort, whose giddy career -- involving audacious scams and confrontations with the FBI and other agencies -- ended in federal prison.
Season of the Witch (2011) Nicolas Cage, Ron Perlman
Nicolas Cage stares blankly into the camera, wondering how Con-Air ever landed him here? Becomes a Zombie Knight to Ron Perlman's juvenile 12 year old Ogre while pursuing a pestilent witch who can only lamely charm in sub-par Sci-Fi Channel effects and a supremely pathetic medieval demon generated from the darkest depths of an early 90's computer program. The only thing more frightening? is being desperate enough to watch films with Knights that leads you to this desolate and god-forsaken sinkhole of wasted time. No, don't even think about it. A definite 2- run away instead to the awesome Norwegian film 'The Last King' (2016) if you have not seen it!
In 14th-century Europe, a courageous knight leads a group of weary warriors across impossibly treacherous terrain in order to transport a suspected witch believed to be responsible for spreading the devastating Black Plague.
Solomon Kane (2009) James Purefoy, Pete Postlethwaite, Rachel Hurd-Wood
James Purefoy is a good actor in search of a script while hunted down by various evils trying to drag him back to hell. Started out interesting then only lead to endless bloodshed and a predictable (ran out of budget) ending. Just made me wish I had watched 'Kull the Conqueror' with Kevin Sorbo again, sigh* avoid 3/4
A once-murderous sea captain -- Solomon Kane -- is holed up in a monastery in retreat from the devil, whom he fears is coming for his soul. Kane soon learns, however, that the path to redemption lies in defending those who are weak
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Post by mikef6 on May 9, 2017 1:50:15 GMT
Following the failure of the Hollywood 2017 live-action “The Ghost In The Shell,” I decided to go back to the originals. But what ARE the originals? The franchise began life as a Japanese manga which led to an animated feature film which led to more movies, three TV series, original video productions, and video games. I scored DVDs of three of the four animated features so watched those in sequence one-after-the-other.
Kôkaku Kidôtai (Ghost In The Shell) / Mamoru Oshii (1995). In a world where human physical abilities can be increased a thousand fold by cyber augmentation, even the brain can be fitted with a “cyber brain” that can communicate with “The Net,” an infinite knowledge base. The remaining human element, the organic brain, is called a person’s “ghost.” One of the most successful of these cyber beings is Major Motoko Kusanagi who works for the national security police force, Section 9. With her cyber augmented partner, Batou, she is given the assignment to track down a hacker into the Net who calls himself The Puppetmaster. As the clues mount up that The Puppetmaster is not a human at all but a computer program that has become self-aware, it raises dark questions in the Major’s mind about the nature of reality and identity in the new cyber world. (When she voices some of her doubts, the down-to-Earth Batou, who is no philosopher, simply says, “Bullshit.”) This influential cyberpunk anime is for adults only; not only because of nudity and violence but because of some intricate story telling and of the ideas encountered.
Kôkaku Kidôtai 2: Inosensu (Ghost In The Shell 2: Innocence) / Mamoru Oshî (2004). Batou is now head investigator of Section 9 after Major Kusanagi’s retirement and disappearance into the Net. His new partner is the young and cocky Togusa. They go into action when several gynoids, life-like humanoid robots used as sex dolls, have malfunctioned (to say the least) and killed their masters. An autopsy of the guilty gynoids reveal the presence of a “ghost” – a human element but artificially created. This is a strong sequel that, really, can just about stand alone. The Major’s reappearance at the climax is really all that connects this film to the first and dialog early on lays the groundwork for anyone coming to this film first. “Innocence” is rated PG-13 in the U.S. but its complicated tale, with takes us near noir territory, requires concentration. Good stuff.
Kôkaku Kidôtai: Stand Alone Complex Solid State Society (2006). Time has passed again in Section 9. Togusa is now head of investigations, Batou is semi-retired taking only cases that interest him, and the Major has not been heard from since the Innocence case. A criminal calling himself The Puppetmaster begins using children to spread a “micromachine” virus. Is this the same Puppetmaster that was encountered before? Could the Major be a part of the attack on society? “Solid State Society” takes us even further into cyberpunk noir. Even while the action sequences are still there, they don’t play as much of an important role. The involvement of child abuse and endangerment, the ability of the criminals to alter reality, and Togusa having to make a drastic decision to protect his own family make this film more of a suspense drama that an action movie. To my cyber mind, this is all to the better. This first played in Japan as a feature length episode of the “Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex” TV series. In other parts of the world, including North America, it was released as a theatrical film.
ALSO
Nine Lives Are Not Enough / A. Edward Sutherland (1941). Ronald Reagan is very good as Matt Sawyer, a fast-talking hat-on-the-back-of-the-head reporter for a big city newspaper. When the story opens Matt is in hot water with his editor (Howard Da Silva) for a headline story he turned in about the arrest of a major gangster, Moxie Karper (Ben Weldon) that turned out to be wrong when Moxie was released the next day. Hoping to prove himself, he goes on a ride-along with two cops (James Gleason and Edward Brophy). Sawyer thinks he is in luck when a call to the house next door to Moxie Karper turns up a shooting victim – a rich man who had been missing. But Sawyer is wrong and ends up fired. Now he must prove that the rich man was murdered and find out who did it to save his job. Veteran director Sutherland was one of those old-fashioned guys who believed that movies should move. Directing the action at a frantic pace, he brings in this enjoyable second feature in 63 minutes. The daughter of the rich murder victim (who becomes a love interest for Reagan) is played by Joan Perry. I had never seen her in a film before. This same year (1941) she made another movie with Reagan (“International Squadron”) and then retired from acting to marry the volatile and much hated head of Columbia Studio, Harry Cohn. They were married from 1941 to Cohn’s death in 1958. NOTE: The title is never explained. There are no cats in this movie.
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